BMW 1-Series, big Ninjas have arrived

The big boys come out to play this past week; a blazing ZX-10R, a new Audi A4 and more excitement

This past week have been busy indeed, with car and motorcycle launches across segments from entry level hatchbacks to high end sedans and a couple of high performance motorcycles thrown in for good measure.

BMW 1-Series Hatchback The least priced Bimmer is here and it’s a hatchback. The BMW 1-Series hatchback is now available in India and the car gets turbo petrol and turbo diesel engine options. A sweet touch is the front engine-rear wheel drive layout, which means that the car will be an absolute hoot to drive. Power comes from either a 1.6 liter turbo petrol motor doling out 122 Bhp/220 Nm or the healthier 2-liter turbo diesel engine that’s good for 143 Bhp/320 Nm. Both engine options operate through 8-speed automatic gearboxes. Prices start at 20.9 lakh rupees, ex-showroom Delhi. Did we just notice a twitch from the Mercedes A-Class?

Hyundai Grand i10 At the budget end of the car space, Hyundai launched the Grand i10, a much bigger version of the i10 and a car that features petrol and turbo diesel engine options. The Grand i10 is also loaded to the gills with creature comforts: a cooled glove box, factory fitted stereo with 1 GB built-in storage, steering mounted audio controls, reverse parking sensors and a push button start. The car’s petrol engine is a 1.2 liter-82 PS Kappa unit with variable valve technology (read that as better fuel efficiency while keeping power optimized), and the diesel engine is a 1.1 liter-triple cylinder motor good for 71 PS/170 Nm. 5-speed manual gearboxes are standard on both engines while a 4-speed automatic gearbox is an option on the petrol powered variant. The car starts at 4.3 lakh rupees, ex-showroom Delhi.

Kawasaki ZX-10R and ZX-14R Japanese motorcycle giant Kawasaki has finally launched their flagship motorcycles, the ZX-10R and the ZX-14R. The ZX-10R is priced at 15.7 lakh rupees while the ZX-14R costs 16.9 lakhs, both prices reflecting ex-showroom Pune figures. Both superbikes come with power outputs in excess of 200 Bhp, while top speeds are electronically limited to just under 300 Kph. Needless to say, these motorcycles are scarily quick and need a fair amount of skill and maturity on the part of their riders. Currently, the ZX-10R and ZX-14R are available only in Maharashtra. Eventually, the bikes will make their way across India, lousy road infrastructure notwithstanding.

Audi A4 Diesel with 177 Bhp Audi has launched a more powerful version of the A4 luxury saloon. The car is now available with a 2 liter TDI engine that puts out 177 Bhp/380 Nm, up from 143 Bhp/320 Nm. The more powerful diesel variant of the Audi A4 gets an 8-speed automatic gearbox and a Drive Select system that lets you choose between comfort, sport and custom modes for the steering and engine-gearbox settings. The car starts at 31.74 lakh rupees, ex-showroom Mumbai.